


Dragon

by IncendiaGlacies



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dragons, F/M, Gen, RipFic, Shapeshifting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-01-30 12:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12653328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: Rip held his breath as he inched closer to the beast. Its glossy black scales glistened even in the sunlight. It was smaller than he imagined, couldn’t have been much bigger than Rip. Funny, he had always imagined the vicious creatures to be huge. Yet it was almost beautiful if it wasn’t so evil.Its large grey eyes considered him, taking in his stature, then landed on the dagger. The dragon’s eyes widened as it tried to scramble away in a panic.Through all the chaos, all Rip could focus on was the look in its eyes. Panic. Fear. Of him. It was almost human of the creature.Humans and dragons have always been enemies, but when Rip comes across an injured dragon (because of his own doing) he can’t bring himself to kill it. And so an unprecedented friendship begins.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AgentMaryMargaretSkitz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentMaryMargaretSkitz/gifts), [ams75](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ams75/gifts).



> Written because SOME PEOPLE encouraged this 10K crack dragon!fic instead of stopping my crazy ideas I get from watching How to Train Your Dragon for the thousandth time.
> 
> This can also definitely be read as friendship only despite the 'pairing'
> 
> (Somehow I actually really love this insanely long crack fic and am somewhat proud of it, so enjoy?)

“There’s another one on the East end!”

“Shoot it down, now!” The canon lit up as it streaked across the sky taking down yet another abomination. The dragons were terrible pests to have.

“We need to worry about any Nightwings,” Rip announced to the leader over the shrieks of their people and roars of the dragons.

“I know, Rip,” Sara groaned as she shot him a dirty look, “You used to be in charge. You’re not anymore. Trust me.”

“I do trust you. That’s why I put you in charge in my place,” Rip huffed, “I’m just trying to give some advice.”

“I know, and I appreciate it,” Sara gave him a soft smile, “Take out a team to the hills. See if that’s a better vantage point.”

“No, you’ll need Mick and Len,” Rip shook his head as he loaded up on weapons at the forge, “I can take care of it myself.”

“Rip!” Sara yelled to him as he made his way out. He stopped and turned to face her. She sighed as she begged him, “Just don’t do anything stupid.”

“When have I ever-”

“Shut up,” Sara came up and put her hands on his shoulders, “You’re not the only one that lost their family. Please, just come home safe. This village still needs you. I need you.”

“Okay, nothing stupid. No more than usual,” Rip nodded as he gave her a fleeting smile before heading out, completely ignoring the frown on Sara’s face. It was true he didn’t have much left now that Miranda and Jonas were gone, it was why he had to step down as leader. It didn’t feel right without a family anymore. But Sara was right, he wasn’t the only one that had lost family to the dragons, both Sara and Len had lost their sisters to the beasts. Right now, Rip’s only job was keeping his village safe. They were all he had left.

He clutched the wedding ring on the chain around his neck and said a prayer before setting up the canon. Anything to shoot at, anything to feel useful again. He heard it before he saw it. A screech in the black sky, and then a blue fireball lit up the sky as it launched at a field in the distance. For only a second the silhouette of a dragon was outline against the night sky. A second was all Rip needed. He lit and aimed the canon, a second later it fired and he could hear the beast scream as it plummeted to the ground. There would be no recovery from a shot like that.

He had no time to celebrate, only a second later another dragon found him on his lonesome hilltop. It snarled at him as it crept up on him. Rip stumbled back and fell on the ground, his weaponry getting away from him as he did. There would be no escape for him either, perhaps he would join his family after all. He closed his eyes and braced himself for…nothing.

“I thought I told you to stop being stupid!” Sara yelled at him. There was a sword in her hand and a decapitated dragon on the ground. “You’re welcome for saving your life. Again!”

“Now surely I’ve saved yours a few times,” Rip insisted as he took the hand she held out and stood himself up.

“Not enough.”

“Well maybe this will help. A Nightwing, I just shot it down over the clearing. We can get a search party first thing in the morning and-”

“No, Rip,” Sara shook her head, “We need to focus on the village. These dragons are wreaking havoc on us. We need to find their nest and destroy them all, once and for all.”

“Yes, but-”

“No, you put me in charge. And I’m telling you, we can’t spare the people. I’m sorry.”

Rip huffed as she walked away. If she didn’t want to help, that was fine. He’d just do it himself.

* * *

 

Rip sighed as he trudged through the trees, twirling the dagger in his hands. All he had to do was make sure the dragon was dead, it was his duty to his village. Except he was finding it hard to find said evil dragon. He had calculated the trajectory properly, it should have landed somewhere in this vicinity. But he had yet to come across it. He huffed again as he leaned against a tree, only to find the branch broken. In fact, all the trees in this area had broken appendages, as if something had bowled through it.

Again, he heard it before he saw it. A quiet moaning, almost a whine from somewhere close. He moved closer and found a lowered clearing. A small waterfall with a stream running through, and small bushes and grass. But the most important thing was at the edge. The dragon.

Rip held his breath as he inched closer to the beast. Its glossy black scales glistened even in the sunlight. It was smaller than he imagined, couldn’t have been much bigger than Rip. Funny, he had always imagined the vicious creatures to be huge. Yet it was almost beautiful if it wasn’t so evil. Its legs were tangled in some vines. It couldn’t move. All the easier to kill it then. He considered his options, if he attacked from the top then surely the beast could throw him off. But if he got any closer, then it would know he was here. As he was weighing his choices, the dragon turned to him. Its large grey eyes considered him, taking in his stature, then landed on the dagger.

Rip couldn’t comprehend what happened next. The dragon’s eyes widened as it tried to scramble away in a panic. It whined as it pulled on the vines, and tried to breathe fire, but all that came out was smoke. But through all the chaos, all Rip could focus on was the look in its eyes.

Panic. Fear. Of him. It was almost human of the creature.

Rip listened to the whines turn more pitiful and put his knife away. The dragon silenced immediately and watched him. He couldn’t kill it. Not like this. He had taken down many dragons before, but never like this. Never up close and personal. And certainly not when they were defenseless. He didn’t even know they could be, and yet here it was. Cowering from him.

“I’m sorry,” Rip raised his arms in surrender as he circled the dragon slowly, “This is my fault. All my fault.” The dragon tilted its head as it watched him edge closer to the vines. “I didn’t mean for you to get hurt. I mean I did, but I didn’t think – I didn’t think I’d have to see you in pain. I didn’t think about that. I’m sorry. But please, let me help you.” He wasn’t sure, but the way the dragon stayed calm, he thought it might have understood him. When Rip was close enough to the vines, he took out his knife again. Immediately the dragon made a fuss, snorting and groaning. “Woah, woah,” Rip raised his hands, “Please, please, I’m not going to hurt you. I promise. Please trust me.” If Rip had to describe it, he would say the dragon gave him an incredulous look. The kind of look Sara gave him when he was being ‘an idiot’ in her words. Still, the dragon settled down again, long enough for Rip to cut through the vines that shackled it.

As soon as it was free, it stretched its wings and snarled at him. Suddenly, Rip wasn’t so sure he had made the right decision after all. He fell back and hit his head against a rock, splayed out as the perfect piece of prey for his attacker with his dagger too far to reach. The dragon growled as it prowled towards him, its claws on either side of his head. Then it blinked at him, its eyes catching sight of something. Rip held his breath as the dragon leaned closer to him, feeling the hot smoky breath against his neck. Then its teeth came out as it grabbed his chain with his wedding ring and ripped it off of Rip.

He could do nothing but stare in horror as the animal took his one last connection to his family, to Miranda. “No, no, please don’t!” Rip yelled. But the dragon shook its head as it held the shiny chain in its mouth and started flapping its wings. It didn’t get very far, it tried to fly but fell in a few feet. It tried to scale the cliffs, but that was no use either. The dragon fell to the ground with a painful whine. Rip stared at it, and scrambled up, ready to fight for his possession. The dragon simply sneered at him and breathed fire at the ground before curling up on the charred ground, Rip’s ring securely in its grasp.

It eyed Rip, almost daring him to steal back the ring. Instead Rip finally used what little common sense he had left and ran. Far, far away from the beast.

* * *

 

“I have work to do, why are we here?”

“I told you,” Rip sighed at Sara, “I need your help.” He tugged on her hand and dragged her to the proper market stall.

“With picking out jewelry?” Sara raised an eyebrow at him once she realized where he had taken her, “I didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

“I’m not!” Rip snapped at her. He sighed and took a deep breath, controlling his anger, “Look, just help me pick the prettiest one. The shinier and the gaudier, probably the better.” Dragons loved shiny things. Gold, silver, bronze. It didn’t even have to be expensive, simply shiny. They loved to steal and horde it.

“I don’t know,” Sara shrugged as she considered the options. “What about that one?” she pointed at a simple gold chain.

“I said gaudy, why can’t you follow simple instructions?” Rip rolled his eyes at her, ignoring her sharp, pointed look. He took in the different styles, none of them were quite right. Too dull, too colourful, not enough gold. Then he saw it. An elegant necklace, with a beautiful gleaming green jewel as its centerpiece. Surely the dragon would appreciate it.

“Yes, that one,” Rip decided as he ushered the jeweler over, “I’ll take it. Except, could you make the chain longer for me? Gold still, I’ll pay for it.”

“Rip, what is going on?” Sara demanded with crossed arms.

“Nothing, I just need a necklace.”

“Yeah, but why-”

“Thank you for your help Sara. Truly. I’ll let you get back to the rest of your day now. Thanks,” Rip took the wrapped necklace and easily walked away.

Sara groaned as she yelled at his retreating figure, “Well thanks for nothing!” She huffed as she noticed the looks she was getting and decided to walk away herself. She muttered to herself, “Not like you needed my help anyways. Why ask for my opinion if you’re not going to listen? Stupid idiot.”

* * *

 

“Hello?” Rip called as he entered the clearing. The dragon hadn’t been able to fly last time, so Rip surmised it should still be in the same place as he had left it. “Are you here? I just want to talk, and I have a present for you.”

This was ridiculous, the beast couldn’t understand Rip. No matter what he thought he had seen in its eyes last time, the dragon couldn’t understand and certainly didn’t care about Rip. And yet, at his words, the small dragon came out of hiding from the foliage, staring at him intensely.

“Hi,” Rip tried. The dragon gave him an unimpressed look, went to its charred spot on the ground, curled up and closed its eyes. “Right then,” Rip approached the dragon cautiously so as to not startle it, “It’s just that I need my ring back, it’s very important to me.” The dragon opened its eyes and considered him; it unfurled its wings to reveal the treasure it was hiding, Rip’s ring. “Yes, that’s it. I need it back; it’s all I have left of my family.” The dragon tilted its head at him and then shook its head. Clearly, that was the universal sign for no.

“I thought you might say that,” Rip gave a small smile as he sat next to the dragon. He was trying not to think too much about how he was having a conversation with a nonverbal killing beast. But the dragon wasn’t attacking him, if anything it seemed torn between being amused and irritated with Rip. He opened the leather bag he had brought with him and pulled out the green necklace as an offering; dragons loved shiny things. Surely, it would be willing to make the trade.

“So what do you say?” Rip asked, “You give me back my ring, and get this shiny necklace in return. See how it sparkles in the sunlight?” The dragon stared at him; it reminded Rip of the look Jonas used to give him. The look that said ‘I’m not a baby anymore, Daddy, stop treating me like one.’

“Right, sorry,” Rip apologized, “But I do need my ring back. So how about it? Want it?” Slowly, the dragon sat up slightly and tentatively moved closer, the ring securely in its grasp. It watched Rip, and then leaned closer to look at the necklace. It nodded once, and swiped the ring over to Rip. He sighed in relief as he put the chain back on, “Thank you, thank you.” He dropped the necklace and made to get up, but the dragon lunged forward and pulled on his tunic with its teeth.

“Ow! Hey, stop that!” Rip scolded it. The dragon dropped back and looked at him imploringly, but Rip couldn’t understand what it wanted. “What is it?” he asked. The dragon huffed at him before hesitantly nudging at his neck where the chain was and pawing at the necklace on the ground. “Oh,” Rip realized, “You want me to put it on you?” The dragon nodded once, and lowered its head in waiting.

Rip couldn’t help but feel honored by the level of trust the dragon was giving him. This was stupid; this creature was his enemy. But it hadn’t done anything to hurt him since it had met him. In fact, they were only in this state because Rip had been the one to bring the Nightwing down. He reached out and placed the necklace around its neck, his hand lingering on its scales. They were smoother than he had expected them to be. The Nightwing clearly had enough and shook his hand off before going off to its spot and curling back up into a ball.

Rip stood there unsurely as he shifted his weight from side to side. “You can understand me, can’t you?” he asked quietly. The dragon turned to look at him, then nodded once before turning away again. “Right, of course you can,” Rip muttered to himself. So he wasn’t going crazy. He took a step towards the dragon but stopped when he caught sight of its glare, he raised his hands in surrender. “I just wanted to ask, why haven’t you just flown away? Why stay here?” The dragon huffed at him and stretched out its right wing for Rip to see. There was dried blood on the wing and down its side, it had been badly injured judging from the gash on its side and the wing, and it wasn’t healing very well either.

Rip stepped forward and when the dragon didn’t move, he reached out to touch the injury. The Nightwing whined and growled at him in response. “Sorry,” Rip removed his hand, “I didn’t mean to hurt you. It doesn’t look too good though.” The dragon snorted at him so Rip took that to mean it already knew. He hesitated before offering, “If you would like, I can come back tomorrow with some medicine for it. I mean, it works on humans and I’m not entirely sure how well it would work on a dragon, but maybe it would help? Would – would you like that?”

The dragon stared at him for a long time, then folded its wings around itself and seemed to fall asleep. Nevertheless, it hadn’t said no (in its own way). Rip smiled, “Alright then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

* * *

 

“What are you doing?” Sara demanded.

“Hello Sara, nice to see you. In my home. To which I have not invited you into,” Rip greeted sarcastically.

“Anaya said you were picking up some medicine for wounds, a lot of it,” Sara responded ignoring his sarcasm.

“Yes, I did,” Rip confirmed, “What of it?”

“Did you get hurt?” Sara asked worriedly as she trailed after him in his home.

“No, I just needed to stock up. You know how it is with these dragons around. You can never be too prepared,” Rip dismissed easily.

“Rip, I’m worried about you,” Sara sighed, “You’ve been distant and disappearing off to places.”

“I’ve just been busy-”

“With what?”

“Just busy. I have a bit of a side project going on I suppose,” Rip shrugged.

“You going to tell me what it is?” Sara asked gently.

Rip sat in a chair and propped his head up on his fists as he considered, “Not yet. If it’s fruitful, then I’ll tell you. You don’t have to worry about me, Sara. I’m perfectly alright.”

“Look, I know you lost your family-”

“It’s been five years,” Rip snapped harder than he meant to, “Sorry, I just mean it has nothing to do with that. I’m not reeling in depression again, you don’t have to worry.”

“Well you’re reeling in something, I know you Rip. Tell me.”

Rip looked at her imploring eyes and sighed, “Do you ever think we got it wrong?”

“About what?”

“The dragons. What if they aren’t evil?”

“Even if they aren’t, that doesn’t change the fact that they’re attacking us and we’re defending ourselves. Like we always have. Don’t forget that they’re the reason we lost our family members-”

“I don’t,” Rip replied coldly, “But we’ve taken their lives as well. Without remorse.” It made a difference if it was some mindless creature wreaking havoc, but the dragons could understand them. At least his Nightwing could understand him.

“Where is this coming from?” Sara frowned at him.

Rip sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I don’t like the idea of being a killer. Not when they don’t deserve it.”

“They steal our gold and our livestock,” Sara told him calmly.

“They’re dragons. They horde anything shiny and they need to eat,” Rip reminded her.

“Look, if you want to somehow form a treaty with those beasts-”

“That is not what I’m saying,” Rip rolled his eyes at her. Even if one Nightwing could understand him, it would take much more than that to change their views. “I just want to be sure.”

“And that’s what you’re doing? Making sure you know for sure?” Sara eyed him warily.

“Yes. That’s what I’m doing.”

“Alright,” Sara sighed, “Take however much time you need. And be sure of what side you’re on.”

* * *

 

“There you are,” Rip smiled as the dragon came into view, “I was worried this was your version of hide and seek.” The dragon tilted its head and stared at him, perhaps it couldn’t understand everything. “Oh, it’s a game the children play. Where some of them hide and one person tries to find them all. It’s quite a lot of fun, my son used to love playing it.” Rip looked down and shook his head of those thoughts.

He dropped the leather bag next to the dragon and pulled out the paste Amaya had given him. The dragon leaned forward to sniff the open jar and recoiled immediately. Rip chuckled, “Yes, I’m afraid it doesn’t smell too good, but it will work. Or at least I hope it will. Would you like me to put it on your wounds?” The dragon considered him for a while then nodded once and lay on the grass so Rip could reach its injuries.

He grabbed a cloth from his bag, wet it in the stream, and used it to clean the wounds first. The dragon flinched slightly at the touch. “I’m sorry,” Rip repeated. For injuring it in the first place. For hurting it now when he was only trying to help. “I know it hurts, but it needs to be clean before I put the paste on it.” He felt the dragon huff at him, its impatience made him laugh.

As he worked, he conversed with the creature, “So, I don’t suppose you have a name, do you? I’m Rip by the way. Rip Hunter.” The dragon nodded. “Was that a yes to the name?” It nodded again. “Hm, I don’t suppose there’s anyway you could tell me, now could you?” Rip mused. The dragon looked at him for a second before staring out into the clearing again. “Well, how about we start with, are you a boy dragon or a girl dragon? Boy?” The dragon shook its head. “Ah, so a girl then,” Rip inferred. The dragon nodded once.

“Well it’s very nice to meet you,” Rip offered. He felt her vibrate under his touch; Rip took that to mean she felt the same. “Now how about a name? Laura? Tabitha? Isabella?” With every name, she shook her head more and more, her huffs becoming more irritable. “Well what am I supposed to call you? This would be so much easier if I wasn’t doing all the talking, you know? I need to call you by something, otherwise it’s just going to be Dragon!” She nodded once, this time it was Rip’s turn to be huffy, “Of course that would be what you choose.”

Dragon batted her wings at him in response. Rip rolled his eyes and told her to settle down as he smeared the paste onto her injuries. “There, now the only thing is you can’t get it wet until sundown, can you manage that?” Dragon snorted at him again, he supposed that meant yes.

Rip watched as she settled down and curled up into a ball as usual. He cleared his throat, “Right, well I suppose that’s all. You’ll need some more of this in a few days, so I suppose I’ll see you then?” Dragon looked down at that, but Rip didn’t miss the lost and lonely look in her eyes. He chuckled, “I could also come before that, if you get lonely I mean.” She growled at him, unfurling her wings in an attempt to be intimidating. Instead Rip berated her, “Don’t move too much. You need to heal and you can’t do that if you’re constantly thrashing about.” Dragon let out a huff and whine, but resumed her normal sedentary position.

Rip moved forward and touched the necklace he had given her. Even with the longer chain, it still fit her neck tightly. His hand wandered over her scales, he could feel her almost purr underneath his touch. “I’ll be back tomorrow,” he promised her.

* * *

 

Their strange sense of friendship soon grew over their many meetings. Rip learned a lot about Dragon over the days he spent with her. Like how she loved shiny things, even if they weren’t objects of value. She loved the bits of metal he had collected from Mick’s forge after he had polished them up. Sadly, it didn’t stop her from trying to take his gold coins either. Even after he had tried to explain how he needed it to buy things. Eventually, he made a deal with her that she wouldn’t take his coins if he bought her more shiny jewelry. She didn’t even wear them, just horded them into a pile. Dragon now had three necklaces, two bracelets, a handful of rings and some cheap tiara the children played with. The only piece of jewelry she wore was the green pendant he had given her from the beginning.

While she could hunt whatever small prey lurked around in the clearing, Rip also quickly learned that Dragon would much rather share whatever food he had brought for the day. The first few days she had watched him mournfully as he settled in with his lunch of bread and cheese. It occurred to him, that she was probably hungry, so he graciously offered half his lunch to her. Of course, after that she took it as a free invitation and always just helped herself to his food, especially if he had dried meats and nuts on him. No matter how much he scolded her, she mostly just huffed at him and continued eating anyways. He was fairly certain she was laughing at him, on one occasion she may have even rolled her eyes at him. He wasn’t entirely sure dragons could do that, but clearly Dragon had picked up on his bad habits.

Sometimes, Rip just felt worn out between helping defend the village and taking care of the recovering dragon. He just wanted to curl up into a ball next to Dragon and nap with her, and sometimes he did. On one such occasion he woke to find her leathery wings covering him, like a blanket, protecting him from the wind and keeping him strangely warm.

“I always thought as a dragon you’d be cold-blooded, like a lizard is,” Rip murmured softly. Apparently, his words had alerted Dragon to his being awake and she immediately removed her wings with a huff. Rip chuckled and tried to move closer to her, the charred ground really was much warmer. “You don’t have to pretend to hate me anymore. You can like me, we’re friends now.” Dragon contemplated him before dropping a wing over him again and settling down next to him. “Thanks,” Rip managed before closing his eyes as well.

* * *

 

Finally, the day came that Dragon healed enough to attempt flying again. Unfortunately, she was being rather fussy with Rip and refused to do so.

“Oh come on!” Rip glared at the pacing dragon, “You are perfectly well enough to fly again. Your wounds have healed fine; you know you can’t stay here forever.” Dragon turned and glared at him at that. “Okay, then what is the problem? Are you scared because it’s been so long since you flew?”

She paused at that and tilted her head; so that was a yes. Rip wandered over to her and trailed his hand over her wing in comfort, “You don’t have to be afraid. You’re a Dragon, you were born to fly. I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Dragon gave a whine and pointedly looked at her side and wing. Rip touched the scars gently as he consoled her, “It’s fine. It’s just a little scarred is all. But it won’t hurt your flight.”

Dragon gave another whine before huffing and plopping down on the ground. She gave a heated glare to her side again. Rip blinked as he considered her actions. Slowly he asked, “Are – are you feeling self-conscious over your scars?” Dragon pointedly looked at the trees in the distance, refusing to give him any type of response. Rip sighed and leaned against her, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for hurting you. I didn’t mean – Ow! Hey!”

Rip rubbed his side where Dragon had nudged into him and thrown him to the ground. She huffed and growled at him causing Rip to roll his eyes at her. “Yes, I know I’ve apologized many times,” Rip sighed, “But it’s true. I am sorry. Incredibly so.” Dragon looked away again so Rip figured she didn’t want to hear anymore apologies.

“For what it’s worth,” Rip said softly as he came to her side again and touched her scars, “I happen to think you’re the most beautiful dragon I’ve ever seen.” Dragon snorted at him so Rip insisted, “No, it’s true. You really are. You are beautiful.” And she really was, even with the scars, her black scales still glittered in the sunlight and her grey eyes stood out completely. Dragon hummed in acceptance but refused to get up still.

“If – if you’re scared to fly,” Rip started unsurely, “I could always come with you if you like?” Dragon gave him a look, which made Rip shrug, “I just mean, I could ride on your back, if that’s alright with you. I could make sure your wings are alright and everything.” She snorted at him again. Rip huffed, “Alright, so maybe I also want to fly. I’ve never gotten to before, but I do care about you!”

Dragon didn’t respond, simply lowered herself until Rip could climb up on her. Rip stared at her in wonder; she blew smoke to get him to hurry up. He apologized and scrambled on top. There was nothing to hold on to, so he wrapped his arms around her neck and tightened his legs around her middle.

“Alright, so how about we start out nice and slow?” Rip asked. Dragon gave another snort before taking off into a run, they were coming close to the rocks and Rip closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact when she finally flapped her wings and Rip felt a weightless feeling in his stomach. When he opened them again, they were high above the trees. His stomach gave a swoopy sensation as Dragon dived down and flew back up again.

He tightened his arms around her neck as he breathed, “This is amazing. I suppose you weren’t too scared of flying after all, were you?” Dragon simply swerved to the left in response; it was all Rip could do to hold on for dear life. Apparently, she didn’t like him questioning her actions. He let her have her fun as she flew in and out of narrow crevices and soared above the hills. He did have to tell her off when she went upside down once; he could have gone without that. But eventually he had to remind her to take them back to the clearing, it wouldn’t be good if she wore herself out in her first flight.

As they landed, Rip took a step down and wobbled slightly, holding on to Dragon for support. “That was quite fun, but I must say, I am extremely happy to be back on solid ground again,” he told her as he smoothed her scales. He wandered over to her usual spot and laid down on the grass. Dragon followed him and curled up next to him, her head on his chest. Rip chuckled softly and rubbed her head as she gave an appreciative hum.

“I suppose this means you can leave now if you want to,” Rip finally let out. She could fly now; she could go wherever she wanted, and leave him behind. “I’ll miss you though,” Rip swallowed a lump in his throat. Dragon snorted at him and nuzzled closer. As he played with her necklace, Rip considered that to mean she wasn’t going anywhere. At least not just yet.

* * *

 

“So, I’ve been thinking,” Rip started as he looked over at Dragon lazily. They were both laying out on the grass having done another flight test. Rip wasn’t sure how much longer she would stay for, her wing had healed quite nicely and she was getting stronger every day. They went further and further each time, maybe they would try an overnight trip at some point. Dragon looked at him impatiently until he finally continued. “I’ve been thinking, maybe I could introduce you to my friend, Sara. She’s the leader of our – would you calm down?”

Dragon began thrashing and growling at him at the mere mention of the idea. He had promised her once that she would be safe from humans, that she would be a secret. Clearly, she saw this as a betrayal. Rip waited until she calmed down, she was still irritated but now she just growled softly.

“Done now?” he asked sarcastically. Dragon glared and let out a snarl in response. Rip sighed, “Look, I just want her to meet you. I want her to see you the way I do. You’re not this evil creature we’ve all thought you were – stop growling, like you haven’t thought the same about humans! Look, I told her once that I didn’t want to kill anyone that didn’t deserve it, and after getting to know you…Dragon, I would never want to hurt you. And I don’t think you’d ever hurt me either. Don’t you want this stupid war between our kinds to end?”

Dragon had stopped listening; her eyes and ears were turned to the sky. Rip looked up and saw the dark figures circling above them, getting closer and closer. He tried to get up and grab his knife but Dragon snarled at him, pinning him down with just a look.

Rip waited anxiously, his heart beating fast and his fingers tingling with fear. He knew Dragon was his friend, and she would never hurt him. And as much as he didn’t want to kill anymore dragons, he also had never been so defenseless in front of them. Even if he did have a weapon, he wasn’t sure he could even react. As he stared at the two dragons land in front of him, he felt frozen in fear.

One dragon was an angry red, as if even its scales would catch on fire any second. The other was a dark green, almost blending into the grass and foliage. He couldn’t understand what they were saying, but they certainly weren’t happy to see him with Dragon. She stepped in front of him, her wings unfurling around him protectively. Rip scooted out of the way and knelt next to her, trying to show his support. He couldn’t let her do this alone.

The dragons snarled at each other, there were growls and yelps. He could feel Dragon taut with anger next to him, she was never like this around him. He rubbed his hand down her back, hoping she would feel the comfort and that the other dragons would realize he meant them no harm. The red dragon stepped forward towards, an almost angry scowl on its face. Rip’s eyes widened as he watched in fear. Dragon took one look at Rip, turned back to the red dragon, and breathed a fireball at it. The grass in front of the dragons caught fire, spreading around them and forming a wall between them and the dragons. The dragons yelped one last time before launching back in the sky. Dragon tilted her head to the sky and watched as they became mere dots and then disappeared altogether.

Then she went towards the fire and stomped it out, curling up in a ball on the charred ground. Rip went next to her and leaned against her, she was clearly upset with the confrontation. He patted her softly as he thanked her, “Thank you, for protecting me. I know you didn’t have to do that.” She snorted at that. Rip gave a small smile, “No, you didn’t. So thank you.” He hesitated before pressing his lips on the crown of her head. She side-eyed him before huffing and turning away from him. Rip simply curled up next to her, happy to just be with her in peace.

* * *

 

“Right, I am all packed,” Rip announced, “Got extra clothes, a blanket, plenty of food. So, we are good to go. I don’t suppose you really need to take anything with you.” Dragon simply breathed fire at an already charred spot on the ground. She had been getting rather restless lately, especially with the encounter with the other dragons. Rip hoped this extended trip would be enough to put her in a good mood again. He really did want her to agree to meet Sara. He had long given up asking Dragon when she would leave and go home. Rip figured one day he would walk into the clearing and she wouldn’t be there anymore. It had happened a few times, but within a few minutes, she always landed in front of him, clearly having done a few laps on her own.

“Alright, let’s go then,” Rip decided. He fastened his satchel and climbed on top of Dragon, ready for the takeoff. The more they did this, the better Rip got at riding. He imagined it was quite a high honor to be the first dragon rider. Mostly though, he enjoyed the twists and turns Dragon liked to do. They gave him a swoopy feeling in his stomach, one that made him scared but also happy knowing Dragon would never let anything happen to him.

They had been flying for a few hours despite Rip’s insistence that Dragon take it slow. They would be flying for quite some time, and he didn’t want her to tire out. Every time he suggested they take a break, she simply went faster, so he stopped asking. He was however getting somewhat sick with all the wind, and he could use some solid ground. He was contemplating telling her this when it happened.

They were circling low above a forest when an arrow shot out from the trees and Dragon dived to avoid it. It only barely nicked her wing, but it was her injured wing and Rip could feel the drop rather than hear the moan of pain she gave. He tried to reach out and comfort her, but she was dropping too fast towards the river that cut through the forest.

“Dragon! Dragon, you have to slow down, we’ll crash!” he yelled at her. But it did no good, she attempted to turn to the right, but her bad wing crumpled in pain and they turned sharper than expected. They were headed straight for the water. As Rip yelled in fear, his arms loosened their hold around Dragon’s neck, and he could feel himself slipping off. She tried to upright herself, but it was too late. Rip felt weightless as he fell the few feet of distance left. He felt the water gushing up, through his mouth and nose; he gasped and choked, trying to take a breath. But the current was too strong, and he saw the jagged rocks rather than felt them. Then there was nothing.

* * *

 

Rip groaned as he felt something soft against his forehead. His sides ached and the hard ground beneath him certainly wasn’t helping the situation. He heard a soft shushing sound as something warm and soft stroked his cheek. He happily nuzzled into the warmth, which led to a soft chuckle. At that, Rip slowly pushed himself to open his eyes.

There was a woman sitting over him. Her long brown hair fell in waves, a clear contrast against the black dress she wore. She hovered over him, her warm hands cupping his cheeks. He saw the laughter in her eyes as she watched him.

Rip groaned as he pulled her hand off, ignoring the hurt look on her face. He began to sit up and take in his surroundings. The night was pitch black and there was a fire set up a few feet away from him. He was wrapped up in his blanket and missing his clothes, or at least his shirt. His ring hung from the chain and glinted in the firelight; he caught the woman eyeing it and covered it with his hand.

“Where,” Rip started, still confused, “I don’t-”

“It’s alright, you’ll be fine,” the woman spoke as she reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. Her voice was warm, but had a slight rasp to it.

Rip eyed the hand on his shoulder and looked at the woman again, catching sight of the necklace she wore. A beautiful green pendant, which shone in the firelight. The chain was far too long for a human, but the perfect length for a dragon. His Dragon. It all came back to him.

Rip grabbed the pendant and demanded, “Where’s my Dragon?”

“Your dragon,” the woman smiled at him in amusement, “Are you all this possessive?”

Rip gripped the pendant tighter, desperately pleading, “Please, just tell me where she is. This is hers and if you hurt her I swear-”

The woman silenced him as she cradled his face and leaned in, “I’m right here, Rip. I’m right here. Just look at me.”

Rip froze at her words, but did as she asked and looked at her again. She wore the pendant, and her eyes were the same piercing grey as before. Then he looked at her right side, and sure enough, a scar trailed from her hand to her shoulder. Rip reached out tentatively and touched her right side, sure that the scar continued under the dress. The woman merely nodded in return.

“Dragon?” Rip whispered.

She let out a laugh, “Yes. It’s me. Hello Rip.”

“But, I don’t understand,” Rip frowned, “You’re not – you’re human.”

Dragon tilted her head at him, inquisitively as she always did, “Surely you humans still tell the old stories?”

“But they’re not real!” Rip argued. Of course he had heard the stories, he had even told them to Jonas when he was a baby. How the dragons would turn into handsome princes and lure the princesses away to their tower. Hold them ransom for all the gold in the kingdom. But they weren’t supposed to be real.

“Clearly they are,” Dragon replied flippantly.

Rip placed a hand on her cheek, dragging it down her scarred arm before pulling lightly on her hair. She was human, solid, real. “What happened?” Rip asked.

“You fell and I saved you,” Dragon said succinctly, “It was my fault anyways, and now we’re even.” She reached out and pressed against his left shoulder, causing Rip to hiss in pain. He looked down and saw a burn mark, covered in paste, he turned back to her for an explanation. Dragon dropped her hand and looked down, “I was trying to burn the ground and make it warm for you, but I didn’t move you far enough and you got hurt. I’m sorry.”

Rip reached out and squeezed her hand in his own, giving her a small smile. He looked down at their position and drily asked, “I don’t suppose you could also tell me why I’m half naked under the blanket?”

“Your clothes were wet and you would have gotten sick. Your virtue is well preserved, I assure you,” Dragon dismissed.

“And you’re under the blanket with me because?” Rip asked.

“You were shivering and delirious, I needed to keep you warm. And you responded better to human body heat than you did to dragon heat,” she pointedly looked towards the fire.

“Well I suppose you are rather warm,” Rip murmured as he tried to move closer, much to Dragon’s amusement.

“Perks of being a dragon. Wait here.” She got up, grabbed his shirt from the fire, and tossed it at him. Rip pulled his shirt on, wincing slightly as it covered the burn, as Dragon came back with a bowl. “Here, this should help the fever go down, drink it.”

“What is it?” Rip asked suspiciously.

“Medicine,” Dragon smiled. She held the bowl to his lips and Rip drank what was left.

“How did you know to do all that?” Rip frowned. How had she taken him out of the river? Set up the campfire? Where did she get her own clothes from? How did she know what medicine to give him?

“I might have had some help,” she shrugged easily.

Rip hummed in acceptance, knowing full well she wouldn’t tell him anything she didn’t want to. He stared at the fire as he asked, “If you could always turn human, why didn’t you before?”

Dragon settled down next to him, he could feel the heat coming off her. They had done this before, but she had always been a dragon then. He leaned in slightly as he always did and she nudged back out of familiarity.

“At first I couldn’t,” she admitted, “Shifting into human form is something that takes many years of practice, and a lot of effort and patience. I was injured badly, and I just didn’t have the energy to do so. Then when I healed, there didn’t seem to be any point. You had become used to me as a dragon; I didn’t think there was any point to you knowing.”

“It would have been nice to talk to you like this,” Rip said quietly.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Dragon looked down, “Besides, I quite enjoyed your stories of the human world. And your family.”

Rip played with his ring at the mention of his family. He chuckled as Dragon watched the ring in want. “You’re not much different in human form,” he mused, “You still want this ring, don’t you?”

“It’s shiny,” Dragon pouted. Mournfully she continued, “And all of my shiny things are back in the clearing. Oh I hope no one steals them!”

“Like you lot do from our houses?” Rip quipped. She glared at him at that. It occurred to Rip that this was the first time he could listen to her speak up for her own kind. Instead, she crossed her arms and huffed at him. Rip shook his head and offered a compromise nodding to the leather bag by the fire that had somehow been saved, “I think I packed some shiny coins if you would like to play with those.”

Dragon looked away at that as she quietly confessed, “I already took them.”

Rip laughed at that, enjoying how Dragon gave an unsure smile of her own.  “Well then, next time I’m in town, I’ll get you some more jewelry, alright? Whatever you like.”

“That sounds nice,” she smiled. She leaned in and pushed him down until he was lying flat, Rip automatically curled towards her. Dragon lay down next to him, close enough that Rip could feel the heat radiating off her. “You should get some more rest. You’re not completely better yet.”

“Alright,” Rip yawned. He had barely even been awake and already he was feeling tired again. As he closed his eyes, he suddenly remembered something. His eyes flew open, “Dragon! What’s your name?”

She laughed at him, “Gideon. My name is Gideon in your human language.”

“Gideon,” Rip repeated as he closed his eyes again, “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“It’s very nice to meet you too, Rip Hunter. Now, get some rest. I’ll be here in the morning.”

* * *

 

When Rip came to again, it was to the leathery wings enveloping him in warmth, and a very human Gideon laying on his chest. He frowned as he noticed her human body next to him, and the dragon wings extending from her back. He tried shifting a little to get a better view; immediately Gideon opened her eyes and stared at him.

“Good morning, Gideon,” he greeted quietly.

“Good morning,” she murmured back. Rip felt a little sad at the loss of contact as she lifted herself up and hovered over him, resting her weight on her forearm by his side. Rip’s eyes caught her wings again which were now fluttering happily.

“You have wings,” he told her.

“They’re warmer than any blanket,” Gideon told him as she folded them up. Rip watched closely, but he couldn’t tell how they disappeared behind her back, leaving only human Gideon in front of him. “Sleep well?” she asked. Rip nodded and watched as she stood up, barefooted, and padded around to the now dead fire.

Rip sat up and commented, “You’re quiet this morning.”

Gideon stared at him as she admitted, “I don’t speak much usually. Human language isn’t exactly my first language. I’m not very good at it.”

“I think you’re brilliant at it,” Rip complimented, enjoying how she looked down in modesty. She walked back to him with a bowl filled with berries.

“Eat, you need to get better,” she commanded.

“Only if you eat with me,” Rip insisted. Gideon smiled and curled next to him, letting Rip lean on her for support. His head at least felt less foggy, his sides still hurt, but that could have been from sleeping on the ground.

“So, you like using me as your personal pillow,” Rip teased her.

“You’re much softer than the ground,” Gideon insisted, “Besides, you enjoyed the warmth my wings gave you.”

“I did,” Rip agreed easily. They finished their breakfast of berries in mostly silence, broken only by Rip’s stories. Even in human form, Gideon didn’t talk much. Rip didn’t mind, he was used to talking for the both of them anyways.

After they finished, Gideon set the bowl aside and requested, “Take off your shirt.”

“Excuse me?” Rip frowned.

“I need to check your burn and see if it’s getting any better,” Gideon insisted as her hands came to his shirt, impatient in any form.

“Alright, alright. Just come down!” Rip batted her hands away. Gideon huffed at him in response. He shrugged the shirt off and waited for her diagnosis. Honestly, it wasn’t hurting much and he had all but forgotten about it.

Gideon frowned at the wound, “It’ll scar.”

“Then we’ll match,” Rip replied easily, hoping the sadness on her face would go away. Before she could respond, the beating of wings on top of them drew both their attentions. The green dragon that had appeared in the clearing days ago, landed in front of them. Rip froze again as he stared at it.

“Human form, Zari,” Gideon demanded of the dragon, “Please.” The dragon snorted, but stood on its hind legs, coming to full height. Its scales dissolved into each other, moving to a paler colour, and its wings rescinded back into itself. Moments later, a woman in a green dress stood before them.

“When you said you were going to help the human I didn’t imagine it meant coddling to its every whim,” Zari said pointedly.

“Zari, meet Rip. Rip, Zari,” Gideon glared at her friend as she introduced them, “You remember her.”

“Yes of course I do. Um, nice to meet you,” Rip offered.

“Sure it is,” Zari responded. She pulled the satchel she was wearing off and tossed it on the ground in front of Gideon, “Medicine, as requested.”

“Thank you,” Gideon said gratefully. Zari nodded once and watched the pair: a dragon and a human. It was unheard of.

“How do you know you can trust him?” Zari asked, completely ignoring Rip’s presence.

“I told you, he saved my life. It’s only fair I return the favour,” Gideon answered, focusing on tending to Rip’s wounds rather than looking at Zari.

Zari hummed and fixed Rip with a glare, “How lucky it was that he happened to know exactly where you fell down. And what your injuries were.”

“Yes, very,” Gideon responded coldly. Rip watched her as she spoke nothing about how Rip had been the one to hurt her in the first place, and how Zari clearly suspected him. He was the guilty one; she should have said something. Instead, Gideon finished attending to Rip’s wounds and tossed the empty jar back to Zari, dismissing her easily, “Thank you for your help.”

Zari picked up the jar and nodded, “I know, I’ll keep your secret. Hope your little human survives.” She shifted back into a dragon and took off into the sky. Rip and Gideon watched as she became nothing but a black spec. Only when she was completely gone did Gideon sigh, the tension leaving her body.

“So, your friend,” Rip commented.

“Yes.”

“She’s a very pretty dragon,” Rip noted.

Gideon pinned him with a glare, “Seriously?”

Rip laughed at her face and did something he had never gotten the chance to do before; he pulled her in for a hug. Gideon stiffened immediately at the contact, but slowly loosened up, resting her head against her chest.

Rip’s fingers lingered on her side, touching the scars on her arm, “You have nothing to be jealous of. I already told you before; I think you’re the most beautiful dragon I’ve ever seen. That’s never going to change.”

* * *

 

“Do you like being a human or a dragon more?” Rip asked from his spot by the fire. A couple days had passed and Gideon had finally deemed him well enough to start moving around again.

Gideon laughed softly, “I am a dragon. Who happens to take human form occasionally.”

“Well which form do you prefer?” Rip rolled his eyes. She was even more argumentative now that she could talk to him.

“I’m not in my human form often,” Gideon explained as she took a seat next to him on the log, “I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with it. Which form do you prefer?”

“Whichever one makes you happy,” Rip answered honestly, as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She tilted her head at him as she considered him. The action was so dragon like Rip had to laugh at it. She huffed at him again, clearly ready to argue with him, but she never got the chance.

Three dragons landed in front of them. Rip recognized the green and red dragons, but the dark blue one was new. Zari had brought some more friends with her. This time Rip didn’t flinch or freeze at the sight of them, simply calmly regarded them and waved a hand in hello.

“You’ll have to shift if you want to talk,” Gideon ordered of them. Immediately the dragons changed into Zari and two tall men flanking her, one dressed in blue and the other in red. Gideon ran over and threw herself at the man in blue; he easily caught her and lifted her of the ground as he held her. The man in red and Zari both joined into the group hug. These were the ones Gideon loved fully Rip realized.

“So, this is your human,” the man in blue spoke up.

“Be nice,” Gideon warned, “Rip, this is Ray.” She pointed to the man in red, “And Jax. They’re members of my clan.”

“Hello,” Rip greeted. Ray nodded in response, a shy grin on his face. Zari and Jax kept their arms crossed.

“How did you find us?” Gideon frowned as she took a step back towards Rip. He easily took hold of her hand, it was muscle memory at this point.

“I might have followed Zari,” Ray admitted sheepishly. Gideon glared at him but before she could reprimand him, Ray continued, “I was worried about you! We all were. You come back briefly with those horrible scars, when we all thought you were dead after all that time you were missing. And then you kept disappearing off to nowhere. And then Jax and Zari tell me you’re with a human and now you’re helping said human – can you see why I worry?”

Gideon looked down ashamed with herself. Rip stood up next to her, his hands wandering down her scarred arm, blaming himself for getting her into this mess.

“I still don’t understand why you’re helping a human in the first place,” Jax contested, “After everything they’ve done to us-”

“Everything we’ve done to you?” Rip lashed out.

“We’ve all lost family because of you humans,” Jax yelled, “Martin lost his daughter, I lost my dad. Ray lost his brother. Zari and Gideon both lost all their families!”

“And I lost my wife and son to dragons,” Rip seethed as Gideon tentatively put a hand on his arm to calm him. He looked at her and took a deep breath, “Half my village has also lost their families to dragons. My point is, we’re not that different.”

“Why did you save her?” Zari asked him. At this, even Gideon tilted her head at him, waiting for the answer.

“Because,” Rip started, taken aback by the question. He looked at Gideon’s grey eyes and cupped her cheek, “Because she was scared of me.” He turned to her friends, “As humans we always learned that if you don’t kill the dragon first, it will kill you. But I looked in her eyes, and I didn’t see a killer, I just saw fear. She was just like me. Why would I kill her for that?”

“Look, just because you’re a good human, doesn’t mean that all of them are,” Jax sighed.

“Well, the same could be said of dragons,” Ray shrugged in Rip’s defense.

“You know, it’s really worrying how quick you are to side with the humans,” Zari eyed him.

“I blame parents,” Jax muttered, “And there’s rumors that he hatched too early.” Gideon muffled her laugh at their teasing as Ray pouted at all of them.

“Look, I’m just saying, of all of us, I’m the one that spends the most time around humans,” Ray reminded them, “They’re not all bad like we’ve been told.”

“Thank you,” Rip nodded quietly.

“Now with that being said,” Ray continued, “I don’t know about you, but I am really tired of this ongoing war we have with humans. And I’m not sure how to convince every human of that.”

“You could always start by not stealing our livestock and gold,” Rip quipped.

“Sorry,” Gideon muttered as she dropped a gold coin into his hand.

Rip stared at her repentant face, “How did you? Where did you even keep this? I – I don’t want to know actually.”

“We need to eat,” Zari reminded him, “Besides, you set up traps with the treasure, just waiting for us to take.”

“That is probably true,” Rip allowed. He sighed in frustration, “Look, clearly both sides have to work at being better to put an end to this stupid war we have.”

“Agreed, but how do we even start?” Ray asked again.

Rip turned to Gideon, “Come meet Sara with me. Please, she is the leader of our village and she will listen to me given a good reason. If she meets you, all of you, then she will understand. We didn’t even know dragons could shift into humans, it’s all just stories now.”

“Not a lot of us do it, and not very often,” Zari explained.

“I said I trusted you,” Gideon said quietly, “But I can’t trust another human.”

“Please,” Rip insisted as he held her wrist, “I hurt you, terribly-” he ignored the growls from her friends “-and you still trusted me to fix you up. Please trust me and meet Sara. She won’t hurt you, you have my word.”

“Promise?” Gideon whispered as she looked at him with her big eyes.

“Always. You’re my dragon, I wouldn’t let another human hurt you. Just like you wouldn’t let another dragon hurt me.”

Gideon nodded slowly, “Alright. I’ll come with you.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Rip repeated as he gathered her into his arms for another hug, “Thank you.”

* * *

 

“Right then, all packed and ready to go?” Rip called out.

“Yes,” Gideon huffed.

Rip laughed at her, she was always so irritable and moody at times. It was a quality that showed her innocence to Rip; one that he rather enjoyed. He was finally deemed well enough to travel again by Zari, so it was time to leave. The two of them had packed up the camp and would head to Rip’s village the next day to meet with Sara. And after that, Gideon’s friends and their leader Martin would join them. Hopefully, an end to this ridiculous human-dragon war was near.

But first, Rip had promised Gideon that they could return to their clearing and just rest. He was fairly certain she just wanted to check on her treasure, but she was also very skittish every time he mentioned the meeting with Sara.

He dropped the bag he was holding and grabbed the pacing Gideon and held her in his arms. “Hey,” he soothed her, “Nothing is going to happen to you. You’re my dragon; I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Gideon snorted, “Your dragon. Don’t you mean you’re my human?”

“Well, I did basically collar you,” Rip shrugged playfully as he tugged on her necklace.

Gideon’s eyes widened at him and pushed against his injured shoulder, “And I basically branded you. A collar is temporary; I can take it off whenever I want-”

“But you won’t because it’s shiny,” Rip rolled his eyes.

“I won’t because it was a gift from you,” Gideon corrected him quietly. Realizing she was quickly proving his point she continued, “Besides, scars are permanent.”

“Yes, they are,” Rip followed the scar on her arm with his finger. He looked at her intently, “So I guess we both belong to each other.”

Gideon fiddled with her necklace as she leaned in closer to whisper, “Now that, I can live with.” She stepped back and unfurled her wings behind her, “Now come on, or you can walk back for all I care.”

“Like you would ever leave me,” Rip rolled his eyes as he stepped back to give her more room. She could fly away and leave him anytime she wanted, but she hadn’t yet. Gideon simply growled playfully in response as she shifted into her dragon form. He had forgotten how much he had missed her like this.

He shook his head in awe, “You really are the most beautiful dragon I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Gideon snorted and nudged at him. “Alright, alright, but it’s true,” Rip insisted. Gideon huffed and nodded pointedly at her back. Rip laughed at her impatience and climbed onto her back. His arms wrapped tightly around her neck and his heels firmly in place by her wings.

“Alright then, ready to go?” he asked softly as he ran his hand over her neck. Not just to fly, but to meet Sara and the other humans. To bring an end to the fighting. Gideon turned and looked him in the eye and nodded once. “Okay, then let’s go.” Together they launched into the sky, fading away into the abyss until they were nothing but a speck in the sky. Singular, together.

Dragon and her Rider. What a pair they made.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rip takes Gideon to his village, Sara and Ray make a peace treaty, and Gideon continues to use Rip as a pillow and questions human customs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written because Dragon!Gideon wouldn't get out of my head.

Rip groaned as the sun hit his eyes. It was time to get up already. Which was easier said than done with the immense weight that seemed to have settled on his stomach. Tiredly, he opened his eyes and found Gideon still in dragon form, once again using him as a pillow. Rip flicked at her ear, silently laughing at her irritated huffs and snorts as she also woke up. He could feel her glare at him.

“Come on, time to wake up,” he urged, “Did I make a good pillow?” He expected another huff or a glare; instead, Gideon fluttered her wings that had been wrapped around him keeping him warm. Rip conceded, “Alright, I suppose that’s fair. You get me as a pillow and I get you as a blanket. But do you mind moving now? Some of us slept on the hard ground and now my back is killing me.”

Begrudgingly, Gideon sidestepped away and gave Rip room to sit up and stretch properly. He couldn’t help but shake his head as he watched her wander over to her small pile of treasure. They had only gotten back last night, and they were planning to see Sara today, but from the second they landed, Gideon had gone straight for her treasure. Rip surmised that it was a dragon thing.

Instead of teasing her, Rip took his own time to freshen up and find some breakfast for himself. Gideon had chosen to go fishing in the stream nearby for food. He couldn’t help but notice that she was choosing to stay in her dragon form rather than human. When he attempted to ask her about it, she simply blew smoke at him and curled up into a ball. Rip decided she probably wanted space after that.

By the time the sun had reached peak height, Rip decided it was enough space and went to sit by her. Gideon glanced at him and then back at the grass. Rip nudged her, “I’ve figured you out, you know?”

Gideon gave him a look that clearly meant she didn’t believe him. He was rather impressed with himself for figuring out the majority of her facial expressions by now. There really was no need for talking between them. Not if they didn’t want to.

“Just because you’re in your dragon form doesn’t mean we don’t have to talk about this,” Rip eyed her knowingly, “We still need to talk to Sara.” Gideon pointedly turned away from him. “Oh come on, you trusted me yesterday about this. I need you to trust me now. Please, Gideon?”

Gideon pawed at the ground and turned back to Rip, nudging at his chest. Rip grabbed her head and looked into her eyes. She had the same look when he had first seen her. Injured and tangled in those vines. Fear.

“Hey, no,” Rip whispered to her, “I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise you. I’ll admit, I don’t quite have the details worked out. But I reckon if you let me fly on your back and we go to the village, they won’t see you as a threat. But I would never hurt you.”

Gideon glanced down at her right wing and then back at him. “Alright, I wouldn’t hurt you again,” Rip corrected, “Besides, you don’t get to talk. I now have a pretty burn mark on my shoulder to match.” Gideon looked away at that, clearly still guilty about hurting him.

Rip threw his arms around her neck, giving her some sort of hug. He kissed the top of her head as he promised, “I don’t blame you. Not at all. You saved my life and I trust you.” Gideon nuzzled against him; he could almost feel her sigh in relief and happiness.

Something glinted in the sun and caught Rip’s eye. A bracelet from Gideon’s treasure pile. He chuckled as he picked it up, ignoring Gideon’s low growling, “I don’t know why you insist on having me buy these trinkets for you. It’s not like you can wear them. You just stash them. What do dragons even do with all this gold?”

Gideon didn’t respond, her eyes trained on the bracelet in Rip’s hand. Just to check, he moved the jewelry up and down, in circles. Sure enough, Gideon’s eyes followed it everywhere. Rip shook his head at her, “You are obsessed. I’m somewhat concerned honestly. You need space from this.”

He got up then, taking the bracelet with him. It hadn’t even been that shiny, but clearly, taking something of Gideon’s had been the wrong move. As he walked away, he could hear the beating of wings behind him. The next thing he knew he was pushed forward onto the ground. He managed to twist onto his back just as Gideon landed over him, her claws encircling his wrists as she bared her teeth and growled at him.

“I guess it’s true what they say. Never steal a dragon’s treasure,” Rip wisecracked. He wasn’t scared of her. Her grip was loose; he could break away anytime he wanted to. Oh, he had not doubt that Gideon was much stronger than him. At least in dragon form, perhaps as a human he could win against her. But she wasn’t physically threatening him, simply growling like she always did.

“Well, someone’s possessive,” Rip murmured. He unclenched his fist to reveal the bracelet he had stolen from her. Gideon leaned close to his ear and snarled at him. Rip was about to make a comment on bad manners, or how she had stolen plenty, but something shot through the sky and took the words away from him.

Rip looked up with wide eyes and watched as an arrow sailed past them, landing only a bit away from Gideon’s tail. Rip turned to the edge of the clearing and saw Sara and Len standing there, another arrow ready to go.

“No, wait don’t!” Rip yelled at them. But it was too late, the first arrow had set Gideon off, in response she breathed fire at them. Sara let the other arrow go and it hit directly at Gideon’s injured wing. Gideon howled in pain and crumpled her right wing towards herself, but her left wing stayed spread out, intent on protecting Rip. As always.

Rip got off the ground and stood in front of her, despite her trying to nudge him out of the way. He put a hand on her head and smoothed her scales, trying to calm her down. Then he turned back to Sara and Len, a hand still on Gideon to show their comradery, “Stop shooting at her! She hasn’t done anything wrong!”

“My, my, when did you get close to a dragon?” Len smirked, an arrow still at the ready and clearly waiting on further orders from Sara.

“Rip, what the hell is going on?” Sara seethed from where she stood. Her eyes kept darting to the dragon that kept baring its teeth at her.

“What are you even doing here?” Rip asked softly.

“What are we doing here?” Sara yelled, “You have been disappearing off to this clearing for the last few months. I got worried so I followed and that beast was carrying you off like prey and you were gone! You were missing for a week; I had search parties looking for you. And now, I come back and the beast has you pinned down, ready to attack you. And you’re defending it?”

“Her,” Rip automatically corrected. Seeing the look of shock on Sara’s face, he felt the need to rush through. This wasn’t how he wanted it to go, but it was better to just get it over with. “Her name is Gideon, she’s not a beast and she’s perfectly capable of understanding you, Sara.” At the name Gideon growled again, Rip shot her a dirty look. She was not helping matters.

Rip looked back at his people, “She’s my friend.”

“Your friend?” Leonard glared, “Funny sort of friend to have. Her kind killed your family.”

“And we killed hers,” Rip responded coldly. He looked back at Sara, “Look, we are all tired of fighting this stupid war. Dragons verses humans, we can’t keep doing this. Don’t you want to put an end to it?”

“Of course I do, but there is no reasoning with dragons!” Sara stepped forward, “They are violent and cruel creatures. You know the stories as well as I do.”

“And what sort of stories do you think they tell about us?” Rip asked. Sara’s eyes dropped. They had all done things they had regretted. Everyone had lost someone. She looked at the dragon by Rip’s side, how it – how she stepped forward slightly, trying to cover Rip up. She was defending him from them.

“We just need a chance, that’s all,” Rip pleaded quietly. Sara sighed but nodded. She could give him that much. “Thank you,” Rip breathed in relief. He looked over at Gideon’s wing, “You’re hurt again aren’t you? It’s fine, come back with me. I have some medicine in my home for you.”

“We’re taking it with us?” Leonard glared at the dragon.

“Apparently so,” Sara decided. She glanced at the dragon, “Can it fly?” Instead of Rip responding, the dragon shook its head.

“She can understand you just fine,” Rip repeated while emphasizing the female pronoun, “Also, I wouldn’t call her an ‘it’. I don’t think she likes it very much.” Gideon pushed at him for that. “Come on then, better start walking back.”

* * *

 

Sara and Len walked ahead of Rip and his dragon – Gideon. Rip seemed to be holding up a decent conversation with her, telling her about what to expect at the village and not to worry about what was coming.

“You can’t think this is a good idea,” Leonard leaned into Sara, “That beast is the enemy.”

“I know you and Rip have your differences. But I know he would never do anything to hurt the village. You have to know that too,” Sara scolded him.

“Alright, and what about the other way around,” Leonard asked, “What about all the villagers that are going to want to kill the dragon on sight?”

“We’ll have to be discrete,” Sara decided.

“Oh yes, discreet. Just taking a dragon into the village. Super discreet,” Leonard responded sarcastically. Sara rolled her eyes and walked ahead of him.

Somehow, they actually managed to get the dragon into Rip’s quarters without anyone noticing. There were a few children, but Sara was able to keep them quiet. She was grateful that the dragon was actually quiet now, instead of growling nonstop as it had been with Sara.

“There, that should hold for tonight. It should look better in the morning,” Rip told the dragon as he finished applying the paste on her wing.

Leonard guarded the door, both to make sure the dragon didn’t get out and so that no one wandered in. Sara stared at Rip, the affection and softness in his voice. She hadn’t heard that tone since Miranda and Jonas had died. “She stays here, and you stay with her,” Sara announced as she laid down the ground rules.

“Obviously,” Rip agreed.

“Then we’ll be back tomorrow morning,” Sara caught the dragon staring at her intensely. She couldn’t help but snap, “What?” The beast let out a pitiful whine and tugged on Rip’s tunic with her teeth.

Rip rolled his eyes and petted her head, “Ignore her. She just likes your necklace.” He turned to Gideon, “You can’t have it. It’s a gift from her sister. Family heirlooms are not up for grabs. Besides, I’ve given you plenty of trinkets.” Gideon looked down sadly at that. “They will be fine where they are. No one is going to steal your treasure, stop being so anxious. You’re hurt you need rest.” Gideon huffed irritably at him and stalked off towards his bedroom.

“So she likes shiny things,” Leonard quipped.

“She’s a dragon, of course she likes shiny things. Like you’re any better,” Rip retorted, “Her pile of treasure would put whatever you’ve taken to shame.” Leonard hummed but didn’t respond, a small smile on his lips. Rip sighed and ushered them to the door, “It’s been a long day. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Fine,” Sara accepted. She gave him one last look, “Just, be careful with that beast.”

Rip rolled his eyes, “Her name is Gideon. She’s not a beast and she’s not going to hurt me. Good night now, Sara.” Rip closed his door and sighed. He would convince them tomorrow, for now, sleep.

He wandered into his room and found Gideon curled up on his bed. “Oi, exactly where am I supposed to sleep then? Go sleep on the ground!” Gideon cracked an eye open, she looked at the ground and back at him. The look she gave him meant she thought he was insane and then she shook her head and closed her eyes again.

Rip groaned as he nudged at her, “Well then at least move over. I need room to sleep too.” Gideon let out a humph but raised her wing so that Rip could curl up under it. He had to admit, her leathery wings were warmer than even his fur blankets. He could get used to having her around in the winter. He could even have a fire going without all the effort.

Rip turned to her and softly asked, “You can’t change back, can you?” Gideon looked at him and shook her head. Rip sighed, he had figured. She had said it was hard enough to do on a normal basis, but even harder when she was hurt. He ran a hand down her wing, “That’s alright. Rest up. I’ll handle things tomorrow, alright? You just be you, and be nice. Everything will work out. Good night Gideon.” Gideon blew hot breath on his face as she leaned in, head resting on his chest as usual. He supposed that was a good night from her as well.

* * *

 

“I see she didn’t kill you in your sleep.”

Rip moaned as he opened his eyes and found Sara watching him at the edge of his bed. He looked down and found Gideon still laying on him, wings covering him like a blanket.

“How did you get in here?” Rip groaned.

“Len let me in,” Sara shrugged easily. Rip muttered something about privacy in his own home before turning over and burying his face in his pillow. Gideon barely even noticed the movement, just moved to continue nuzzling him. “She’s attached to you,” Sara commented.

Rip turned to face Sara, “I suppose. I think she just likes the bed. She normally sleeps on the ground; I suppose this is much softer. She is rather warm though, so I can’t complain.”

Sara hummed, “Get dressed. We need to talk. And I have a guest for your friend.”

Rip sighed and got out of bed, waking Gideon up as he did. He ignored her whines and told her to wake up properly. After looking presentable, they both wandered out and found Sara, Len and Amaya sitting around the table. Amaya immediately startled at the dragon and Gideon froze by his side. Rip soothed her and motioned her to move closer to his friends.

Rather than taking a seat at the table, Rip settled down on the ground so that Gideon could curl up next to him. He introduced her to everyone, “Gideon, you met Sara and Len yesterday. This is Amaya. She makes all the medicines for us. And you.”

“Hello,” Amaya started shyly. She kneeled next to Gideon and reached out a hand before asking Rip, “May I?” Rip shrugged and nodded at Gideon, it was her choice. Amaya looked at Gideon who bowed her head slightly. “She’s beautiful,” Amaya breathed as she touched her head.

“I know,” Rip agreed. Bringing Amaya here was a good sign, it meant Sara was willing to listen. Amaya loved all animals; she was one of the very few who was sympathetic to the dragons’ plight. But her viewpoints had made her something of a social pariah.

“What happened to her wing?” Amaya asked in worry. Gideon nodded her head at Rip in explanation.

“Yes, that was me. I uh, I injured her unfortunately. It’s how we first met,” Rip teased. Gideon snorted at him and nudged him. Amaya took the wing and extended it, trying to see if her mobility was limited.

“Well I would say it healed alright,” she commented at last, “It could have been worse. I suppose this was the arrow, Sara shot at her?” Amaya pointed to Gideon’s newest injury. Sara nodded in response. Amaya sighed, “Well, it looks to be healing nicely. I’ll drop by some other medicine tonight just to make sure it doesn’t get infected.”

Gideon suddenly tugged on Rip’s shirt. “Oi, stop that! What is it?” She impatiently nosed at his left shoulder and then gestured at Amaya. “No, it’s fine.” Gideon hissed in response. Rip rolled his eyes, “You worry too much.” He turned to Amaya as he undid the first few buttons and pulled the shirt down his arm, “She wants you to make sure my wound is fine.”

“That’s a pretty bad burn,” Amaya commented. Gideon whined at that so Rip rubbed a hand over her head to soothe her.

“Did she give that to you?” Sara demanded.

“On accident,” Rip defended, “It wasn’t like when I tried to shoot her out of the sky. She saved my life and I got injured in the process. She’s rather protective of me actually.”

“Well you’ll be happy to know that he’s just fine,” Amaya told Gideon, “He got patched up well.” Gideon gave a sigh and rested her head in Rip’s lap at that. He chuckled and stroked her head while smiling at Amaya. He appreciated how she addressed Gideon and not him.

“So you’ve got a loyal pet,” Len drawled. Gideon rose on her hind legs at that, teeth bared. Rip knew that look.

“Hey! Hey, please don’t!” Rip raised his hands at her, “He didn’t mean it, please!” Gideon growled at him and blew smoke but settled down, still glaring at Len. Rip rounded on the man angrily, “She is not a pet! I have no control over her, I’m just lucky she listens to me. Gideon is my friend. She protects me and I do the same for her.”

“The same can’t be said of all dragons though,” Sara pointed out, “So you trust one, you can’t trust them all.”

“I’ve met other dragons,” Rip admitted, “They want peace too.”

Sara frowned, “How can you possibly know what the dragons want? She seems well trained enough to understand us, but they can’t all be like that.”

Gideon growled at Sara. “She doesn’t like being referred to as trained, it’s too close to being a pet,” Rip translated, “She really isn’t. Besides, the dragons can actually – ow! Gideon, get off!”

Gideon had pounced on him again, teeth bared at him dangerously close to his neck. Her claw was dangerously close to his injured shoulder and Rip felt the need to point it out to her. “Careful, or I’ll be even more hurt.” He saw Gideon’s eyes widen as she scrambled off him.

Sara and Len were up on their feet, ready to save Rip from the seemingly dragon attack. Rip waved them off, “Calm down. I already told you, Gideon wouldn’t hurt me. She just likes to think she’s scary. I’m fine.”

“What the hell was that about?” Sara asked as Len crossed his arms. Amaya meanwhile was looking at Gideon. How stiff her position was. She wasn’t even whining or growling, just looking at Rip silently. Waiting.

Rip sighed and put a hand on Gideon, he understood. She didn’t want him to tell them they could turn human. Not just yet. Of course not, it was a well kept secret among dragons. One that Gideon had entrusted him with.

“Nothing,” Rip dismissed, “Look, just meet the dragons. Talk to them and you’ll understand. Please.”

“And you can set this up?” Sara asked doubtfully.

“I sort of already did,” Rip admitted.

“You know I’m leader now, don’t you?”

“I do,” Rip agreed, “I wasn’t trying to overstep. I just, I wanted to help.”

“And when is this meeting happening?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Of course it is,” Sara huffed, “Fine.” She raised a hand to stop whatever comment Len wanted to make. She nodded at Rip and took another look at Gideon. Slowly, as to not startle her, Sara reached forward and touched the necklace she had. Gideon let out a low hiss that made Sara laugh. She looked back at Rip, “I remember you buying this. Guess you had someone special after all.”

Sara gathered Lena and Amaya at her side so they could leave, “Alright then. Tomorrow, Hunter. You better be right.”

Rip waited until they left before letting out a sigh of relief and curling his arms around Gideon who happily returned the hug as best she could.

* * *

 

Rip wasn’t even surprised when he woke the next morning and felt the weight on his chest again, it was something he had grown accustomed to in a short period of time. Eyes still closed, he reached out to pet Gideon, only for his fingers to find long, silky hair. At that, his eyes fluttered open. Sure enough, Gideon was human again. Her head tucked just under his chin, her body flat on top of his and her wings enveloping them in warmth.

Rip hummed in contentment before wrapping his arms around her and rubbing circles into her back. Moments later, she also woke up, muttering under her breath as she tried to nuzzle closer to Rip.

He laughed at her dragonlike tendencies. “You’re human again.”

That got Gideon’s attention. She peeled herself away from him, resting her weight on her forearms as she hovered over him, “Yes. Changed back some time last night. You were sleeping.”

“You feeling okay? Your wing?” Rip reached out for the injured wing only for it to curl away from him. Rip gave her a wounded look.

“It’s a bit sore still,” Gideon explained as she began to fold them back.

“No, keep them out,” Rip requested as he pulled her against him again, “They’re warm.”

“I knew you only liked me as a blanket,” Gideon joked.

“It’s winter soon, it’s getting cold.”

“How did you survive without me?”

“Furs. Dragons are warmer. Should have gotten one a long time ago,” Rip teased her as he played with her necklace, “Besides you’re still using me as a pillow. And basically your bed.” He gestured to how she was laid out on top of him rather than beside him on the actual bed.

“This is a bed right?” Gideon pointed to the object they were laying on. Rip nodded once, remembering she didn’t know every word for everything. “It’s too small.”

“I didn’t know I’d be sharing with a dragon, my mistake,” Rip quipped. Gideon hummed before pulling back.

“Take off your shirt.”

“Excuse me?” Rip raised an eyebrow at her.

“Your burn, I need to see how it is,” Gideon continued.

“You heard Amaya yesterday, it’s fine,” Rip insisted. Gideon tilted her head and pouted at him. He was fairly certain normal human eyes couldn’t get that big. Rip sighed and unbuttoned the first few buttons and pulled his shirt off the shoulder. “I’m not taking it all off. It’s too cold for that.” Gideon didn’t respond, her hands going straight for his burn mark. It wasn’t tender anymore and was healing nicely, but it was scarring. Rip could see Gideon would be distraught over it and pulled her attention away.

“Hey,” he whispered. Gideon tore her eyes away from his injury to look at him. Rip smiled gently, before grabbing her by the waist and flipping them over so he was on top. He ignored her protests and pinned her wrists against the bed.

“Do you realize you have had me pinned down twice in as many days?” Rip asked slightly out of breath as he grinned at her.

“It’s not my fault you’re an easy target. You should work on that,” Gideon argued.

“Right, of course, my fault,” Rip rolled his eyes, “I’ll work on that, shall I?” He let his hold on her loosen as his fingers found the scars on her right arm and traced them up as far as he could before reaching her dress. He felt Gideon shift slightly under him, next thing he knew her wings were wrapping around him and she was turning them over again.

“That’s cheating,” Rip complained as she pinned him down again. Gideon laughed as she sat up, straddling his waist, her hands resting on his chest.

“Don’t take your eyes off your prey. Basic rules of hunting. Human,” Gideon mocked. She folded up her wings until they melted away into her back. Fully human now. At least in appearance.

“How do your wings do that if you’re wearing clothes, where do they go?” Rip wondered aloud.

“Same way you wear this,” Gideon tugged on his shirt, “There are slits in the back of the dress. Small enough for the wings to emerge through.”

“Yeah, but they disappear, and so does your tail,” Rip trailed off still confused.

Gideon shrugged, “It’s normal for me. Like bending my arm, I suppose. I just can.”

“How do you even have clothes on when you turn human? It’s not like you have them on when you’re a dragon,” Rip continued with his questions.

Gideon tilted her head at him, “What, would you rather I be naked all the time?”

“I – what? No! That’s not what I meant!” Rip spluttered. He hadn’t even considered that part of the matter. He glared as Gideon continued to smirk at him, belatedly realizing that for however innocent she may seem, she really, really wasn’t. Before he could tell her off though, they were interrupted.

“Woah there.”

Both Rip and Gideon turned to the door and saw a surprised looking Sara standing there. She fidgeted slightly, “I didn’t realize you had company over. Should I come back later or-”

“What? No, what are you talking about?” Rip demanded. Sara gestured to him and Gideon. As Rip turned to look at his dragon friend, he realized this was the first time Sara was seeing her in human form. He also belatedly realized that his shirt was half-undone and Gideon was straddling him in a mess of blankets and pillows. Rip tapped at her waist until Gideon got the message and slinked off him, settling in by his side. Now that she was human, they fit perfectly fine in the bed.

Sara frowned as she looked around, “Where’s the dragon?”

Rip shared a look with Gideon who sighed and nodded once. Having gotten her permission, Rip explained, “She’s right here. Sara, meet Gideon.”

“Hello,” Gideon greeted quietly. At least she was watching her manners for him.

“You’re Gideon?” Sara asked wide-eyed. At Gideon’s nod, Sara continued, “But you’re – you’re you know-”

“Human?” Gideon asked unimpressed.

“I was going to say gorgeous, but that too,” Sara shrugged. She turned back to Rip, a slight smirk on her lips, “The meeting is soon. Don’t be late.”

“Get out,” Rip threw a pillow at her on her way out. He huffed as he collapsed back on the bed, “Don’t know what the point of locked doors are if they’re all just going to walk in here all the time anyways.”

Gideon tentatively poked at his shoulder, “What does ‘gorgeous’ mean?”

“Hmm? Oh, very beautiful,” Rip answered.

“Oh. She finds me very beautiful?” Gideon asked, a slight blush on her cheeks.

Rip narrowed his eyes at her, “You don’t even like her. She shot an arrow at you!”

Gideon shrugged, “It was a nice thing to say, right?”

“I – well yes, but – I’ve called you beautiful plenty of times!”

“Not in my human form,” Gideon responded quietly while tugging on her necklace.

“Really?” Rip asked in disbelief. Gideon shook her head. Rip’s hands came out and covered her own as he looked at her intently, “Well I think you’re very beautiful in both forms. I suppose it just doesn’t matter to me what form you take. You’ll always be a dragon, and you’ll always be the prettiest dragon I’ve ever seen.”

Gideon grinned before ducking in and kissing his hair as he had done for her so many times before. It left a smile on Rip’s face for quite some time afterwards.

* * *

 

“Careful, it looks like someone’s going to steal your girl,” Sara teased as she stood by an annoyed Rip’s side. She frowned at her choice of words, “Dragon. Dragon-girl.”

“Gideon,” Rip muttered, “She has a name. And she’s not mine. Not like that.” He couldn’t help how tightly his arms were crossed as she greeted Ray. She was close with her dragon friends; he knew this. Len watched suspiciously Gideon greet Ray, Zari and Jax. He was still surprised by the fact that the dragons could change into humans. Meanwhile, Amaya thought it was amazing and seemed to be itching to go meet them all properly.

Rip cleared his throat, “Shall we then?” He gestured to the table that had been set up outside of village lines. While Sara agreed to a meeting, she refused to put her people in danger needlessly.

“Of course,” Ray agreed easily and they all settled down together. Rip smiled when Gideon came and leaned into his side instead of Ray.

“I thought your leader was supposed to come?” Sara asked.

“You expect an old dragon to make the flight all the way out here to meet some human?” Jax shook his head at her.

“Ignore Jax. He hasn’t learned any manners,” Zari commented with a glare. Jax tried to protest but Zari spoke over him, “Ray knows the most about humans so he’s ambassador. And Martin trusts Jax with his life. So they’re both here.”

“What about you?” Amaya asked.

“They’re both idiots without me,” Zari answered easily. Sara let out an involuntary laugh at that, she quickly silenced herself when she saw Len’s face.

“Alright then, ground rules,” Len took charge, “Rip says you want peace.”

“We do,” Ray agreed.

“Good. This shouldn’t be too hard. Stop attacking our village.”

“Sure, as soon as you stop shooting arrows and canons at us!” Zari snapped at him.

“We wouldn’t have to shoot at you if you stopped stealing our livestock and gold,” Sara pointed out.

“We wouldn’t have to if you didn’t take up all the hunting grounds. We need to eat to survive,” Jax joined in.

“We are literally just going in circles here,” Ray yelled at them all. Rip stared at him. It occurred to him that for all Ray looked charming and affable as a human, he was still very much a dragon when he needed to be. He could control a room the same way Gideon could if she really wanted to. They just drew attention to themselves.

“We all have concessions to make,” Rip admitted, “Humans have hurt dragons and dragons have hurt humans.” His hand trailed up Gideon’s scars unconsciously as she leaned against his shoulder.

“We need to hunt. We use the animals for their meat and pelts,” Sara tried.

“But the whole village doesn’t eat meat,” Amaya pointed out as she was a vegetarian along with many others. “And half our livestock dies in the winter anyways, why not just give the dead ones to the dragons.”

“That would work,” Ray agreed at Sara’s nod, “And in return we would stop burning your village down. Repeatedly.”

“It gets a little tedious rebuilding all the time,” Sara said with a wry smile.

“And stop stealing our stuff,” Len added.

“We will lower the amount of stealing,” Zari offered, “Oh just leave some shiny scraps of metal out for us, please?”

“What do you even need all that stuff for?” Len wondered.

“Dragon eggs,” Gideon stated obviously. Seeing the looks she got she explained, “Dragon eggs are extremely fragile. But if you melt the metal and gold and cover the egg in it, then it’s safe. Humans can’t steal the hatchling, but the hatchling can still break through the shell.”

“But you don’t have hatchlings – you’re not a mother, are you?” Rip asked suddenly worried he had taken her away from her babies.

“Oh no, of course not!” Gideon denied.

Ray laughed, “Most dragons do like shiny things in general too, but Gideon is a Nightwing. They’re mostly nocturnal and have a keen eye for the shiny stuff. You should see her cave.”

“You’re nocturnal?” Rip asked.

“I am black to blend in with my surroundings and I practically laze around all through the day. How have you not noticed this?” Gideon asked him. Rip shrugged in response, he just figured all dragons basked in the grass all day.

“Fine, you get whatever scraps Mick has from his forge,” Sara offered, “Anything actually important are hands – claws off.”

“Deal. Shiny non-important things,” Ray grinned. He turned to Gideon and gave her a look. Gideon sighed and dropped four coins and a bracelet on the table, an apologetic look on her face.

“Is that my bracelet?” Amaya asked, “How did you even get that?”

“You weren’t looking yesterday!” Gideon defended herself.

“We will watch her closely,” Zari promised as she reached and patted Gideon’s hand, “You find much better stuff on your own anyways. You don’t need their things.” Rip laughed as Gideon gave a sad whine and pulled her towards him.

“Alright, I speak for my clan when I say we agree to these terms,” Ray said.

“And I speak for my village when I agree as well,” Sara held out a hand. Ray looked at it for a second before understanding and shook on it in agreement.

* * *

 

“The small human keeps staring at me,” Gideon hissed into Rip’s ear.

Rip rolled his eyes and continued pulling her through the market place, “The small human is called a child, Gideon. And she’s probably staring at you because she’s never seen a dragon in human form.”

“Well how would she even know I’m a dragon?” Gideon demanded.

Rip gave her an incredulous look, “Seriously? There’s just, something about you.” He wasn’t sure if it was because she always smelled like smoke and forest, or how her body temperature was significantly warmer than normal, or maybe it was just Gideon. But somehow, there was something about her that the kids always knew she wasn’t completely human.

“Look, only you, Ray and Zari stayed behind,” Rip continued. Ray spent most of his time with Sara talking politics while Zari had taken to observing Amaya’s work. And of course, Gideon stayed by Rip’s side. “The villagers are aware dragons are among us. They gossip, a lot. Of course they know you’re a dragon.”

It had only been a couple of weeks since the treaty had been in place. But already the dragon attacks had lessened, and the dragons that stayed in the village were quick to call the remaining attacks off. Meanwhile, Sara and Len were working to set aside livestock for the dragons and Mick kept leaving scraps of shiny metal on his doorstep. Both sides were working towards making peace.

“Well she doesn’t have to be so obvious about it,” Gideon huffed as she pouted. “Don’t know why you need so many names for your young anyways. I thought they were babies?”

“Well maybe she’s staring at you because you’re so beautiful,” Rip teased her as Gideon rolled her eyes at him again. “When they’re born they’re babies. And as they grow older they’re called children,” Rip explained again.

“Hatchlings are much easier to remember,” Gideon complained loudly.

“Come on,” Rip tugged on her, “I promised you jewelry. So that is what we’re doing.”

“You exchange shiny things for possibly less shiny things. It doesn’t make any sense,” Gideon continued.

“It’s called money and it has value. So you can buy – exchange money for other things. Not just shiny things, but clothing, food, lots of stuff,” Rip explained slowly. Gideon muttered something under her breath he couldn’t quite catch. He wasn’t sure he’d understand it anyways. Rip was catching on that Gideon tended to have many things to say in dragon-speak under her breath, and not all very nice from the looks Ray sent her way.

“Alright, take your pick,” Rip gestured to the jewelry stall. Gideon’s eyes widened, the giddiness clear on her face. The look was pure and innocent.

“Ooh, that one is pure gold. With a diamond. Can I have that one?” Gideon pointed to a ring. The jeweler raised an eyebrow at Rip who blushed automatically.

“Uh, no not that one,” Rip cleared his throat, “That one’s for special occasions.”

“Why?” Gideon asked.

Rip scratched the back of his neck, “I – it’s a wedding ring.” Gideon continued to stare at him blankly. Rip sighed, “A wedding, when you get married. What a husband and wife wear to show that they’re together.”

Gideon reached out for his chain that held his own rings. She played with it in her fingers, “They’re for mates?”

“Yes, exactly,” Rip smiled, “For mating purposes only.”

“You wear these rings because you had a mate,” Gideon remembered. At Rip’s nod she continued asking, “You exchange jewelry to show your mating status?”

“Yes, I suppose we do,” Rip shrugged.

“Are we mates?” Gideon asked suddenly.

“What?”

“You gave me this necklace,” Gideon tugged on the green pendant, “Does that make us mates?”

“No, that’s not the same,” Rip sighed, “It’s only with the rings.”

“You’ve given me rings too,” Gideon reminded him.

“Yes, but it’s not the same,” Rip stuttered.

“Why not?” Gideon tilted her head at him, “You give me jewelry and you kiss me. Is that not what human mates do?”

“No – I mean yes, but it’s not the same. It’s different!”

“How?”

“It just is!”

“Human customs are so confusing,” Gideon frowned at him. The crinkle in her brow made Rip laugh.

“Yes, they are. Now, pick something else, alright?” Rip turned her back to the jewelry.

Gideon sighed, upset she couldn’t get the sparkly ring. But her sights soon settled on a bracelet, silver with bright blue jewels. Rip happily paid the jeweler and let Gideon marvel over how the bracelet looked on her wrist. As they walked away, he couldn’t help but glance back at the rings one last time.

“Oh, it’s perfect! Thank you!” Gideon threw her arms around him, shaking Rip from his thoughts. Without notice, her wings appeared and wrapped around him too. “Oh no, sorry!”

“No, it’s fine. Leave them out,” Rip told her. He looked at her, as she stood there, human with her dragon wings extended. He bit his lip before hesitantly asking, “Can you fly like this? Human with dragon wings?”

“Of course I can,” Gideon dismissed easily. She admired her new piece of jewelry and caught Rip’s eager look. “You want me to take you?”

“Could we try it?”

“Come here,” Gideon gestured him towards her. She took his arms and wrapped them around her neck, her arms coming around his waist. “Hold on tight,” she commanded. Rip did just that as she started beating her wings.

It was different from when Rip would ride Gideon as a dragon. This time she was pressed against him, soft but just as powerful. He could feel the ground disappear from under his feet. He laughed as he clung tighter to her.

“This is amazing,” he whispered to her, “Thank you.” Gideon smiled and simply beat her wings faster as they flew into the sky. As the sun set and the stars came out, Gideon finally settled them back onto solid ground.

“The stars are the jewels of the sky,” Gideon commented as the lay in the grass of their clearing and watched the night sky, “They’re the prettiest thing up there.”

“Only because you’re on the ground with me,” Rip quipped. Gideon snorted and smacked his chest, making him laugh. Rip couldn’t help but ask, “If you’re nocturnal, does that mean you’re wide awake right now?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever had normal sleep patterns,” Gideon frowned, “I think I am a little tired out actually. I’ve never had to fly a human around like that before.”

“Sorry,” Rip apologized as he pulled Gideon on top of him. He knew she would never sleep otherwise. “But thank you for taking me.”

Gideon unfurled her wings around them as she nestled in on his chest, “Of course. You sure you don’t mind me using you as a pillow?”

“It’s fine, I use you as a blanket,” Rip joked. Gideon hummed as she closed her eyes and Rip ran his hands through her hair, muscle memory from petting her whenever she was in dragon form. They were wrapped up and hidden away from the rest of the world. Exactly how they were supposed to be. Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Consider leaving kudos or a comment on why you loved/hated it?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gideon finally shows Rip her cave

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might just add little things here and there, no promises

Rip groaned as Gideon pulled him out into the field. It was far too late and he was still half asleep but she had seen it fit to wake him up and drag him out in the middle of the night.

“Come on, hurry up, human!” she taunted him.

“Some of us need sleep, at a reasonable hour!”

“You forget that I am a creature of night, this is my normal hour to be awake. I have been too soft on you, human.” She scoffed. “Now, I want to show you something.” Gideon dropped his hand and stepped back, crouching close to the ground. Wings spread from her back and she bent down, melting into a dragon. No matter how many times Rip had seen it, no matter how sleepy he may have been, he would never get tired of seeing it.

“You really are the most gorgeous dragon I’ve ever seen,” he whispered as he took in her glossy black scales, the green stone of her necklace stood out against her. She matched the night sky exactly. Gideon snorted at him, pawing the ground impatiently, throwing a look onto her back. “Now?” he asked. She blew smoke, threatening fire next if he didn’t hurry up. “So impatient, my Dragon,” he teased as he climbed onto her back. He hugged her neck tightly and kissed her scales. She huffed and took off in a run. Rip let out a cheer as they soared into the night sky.

They went further than he’d gone with her before, past the forests and close to the mountains. When Rip looked down at the ground he realized where he was. Dragon Territory. Even after their capricious peace treaty had been set, Gideon had never taken him here. She’d always said it was too dangerous for a feeble human such as himself. Gideon ignored the dragons and hatchlings and went straight for one of the mountains. Closer still, Rip could make out all the little cave dwellings the dragons had made for themselves. Gideon swooped down,  curving tightly, probably just to scare him and landed inside one of the caves. Rip groaned as he slid off her back and patted her once. It had been a rough landing. He walked closer to the edge of the entrance and looked down, gulping, they were so far up.

“Wow,” he whispered. He turned and faced her. “This-this is your home, isn’t it?” She nodded once. Rip smiled at her and stroked her head, and she happily nuzzled against his touch. He took a moment to look around the cave, Ray had told him about it, how Gideon hoarded everything in here. Sure enough, at the back of the cave, there was a little pile of all her treasures that made him chuckle. He frowned, stepping closer to the walls, they were glittering. As he pressed his hand against the stone he realized they were gems all around, glittering and sparkling. It looked like the night sky in here.

“It’s beautiful,” he murmured, stepping back to get the full view of it. 

“You like it?” Gideon asked, dangerously close to his ear. He hadn’t realized she had changed back. But not completely. He could feel her leaning against his back, wrapping her arms and wings around him. He hummed and rested his hands on her arms.

“I do. Thank you, for showing me this.”

“It’s nearly sunrise. It looks even prettier then. Come, lie down with me.” She gestured to the furs he was just seeing, and a small fire, just for him. So she did like him after all. Rip followed her and lied down on the soft furs. “I know it’s not a bed, but is it still good?”

“It is. But I need a blanket.” He pulled her down on top of him waiting for her to envelope him in her wings. She did. Rip stroked her hair back, making her practically purr with delight. He smiled at it. “Gideon,” he started softly, “where did these furs come from?” She said nothing, tracing her finger in the dirt. Rip sighed. “I told you to stop stealing.”

“But they weren’t going to use it!” Gideon whined. “And I wanted to do something nice for you.”

“And I appreciate that.” He kissed her cheek. “But don’t steal for me. If you need or want something, ask me. I can buy it for you.”

She grumbled under her breath and nodded. “Okay.” He kissed the top of her head. He knew better than to ask for a proper apology.

“Think I can come here more often?” he asked hopefully.

“We’ll see. Human.” There was a teasing smile on her face that still gave him hope. They laid there in companionable silence as always. Gideon was never much for words and Rip was still too tired to hold a proper conversation. 

When the sun finally rose, it illuminated the entire cave in golden light, making the gems shimmer and shine. Rip hadn’t thought it could get more beautiful, but it did. He could see the red hue of the stone, how each crystal caught the light in a different way, letting out a kaleidoscope of rainbow colours.

“Thank you, for bringing me here,” he said again.

“You are welcome,” Gideon said, working on her annunciation. He smiled and kissed her temple as she yawned again. “I’m going to sleep now,” she informed him, closing her eyes and tightening her wings around him. “You can stay if you want.

Rip laughed lightly and looked at how she had all but caged him in. He closed his eyes and held her tightly. “I don’t think I have much of a choice,” he murmured. But even if he did, he knew he would stay with her.


End file.
